COVID-19 Pandemic and Otologic Surgery

All around world, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating, and any insight we can learn from our colleagues who have either encountered or are currently going through this will be used to protect our patients, our medical staff, and ourselves. No one knows to the best of our understanding whether or not COVID-19 includes the respiratory mucosal lining the middle ear and mastoid air cell system-but it seems probable they do. Since the rest of the airways are affected, and so is the nose and nasopharynx, it seems possible that the lining of the Eustachian tube, middle ear and mastoid air cell system would all be polluted. Viral particle aerosolization, which can occur otologic surgery using powered instruments and they remain in the air for at least 3 hours. Powered air purifying respirators are supplied even shorter than N95 masks, but strongly believed they are important for our team safety and protection. This mini review provides fundamental knowledge on otologic surgery feasibility in the COVID-19 pandemic from an objective perspective.